Oba Ewuare II Celebrates Return Of 18 Looted Benin Artefacts... Extols Buhari, Tinubu, Okpebholo















Oba Ewuare II Celebrates Return Of 18 Looted Benin Artefacts

... Extols Buhari, Tinubu, Okpebholo 

Iduozee Efe Paul, Benin 


The Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, has received 18 Benin artefacts repatriated from Switzerland after spending about 125 years in foreign custody, describing the objects as priceless records of the history, governance, spirituality and artistic excellence of the Benin Kingdom.



The artefacts, which include an ancestral head of a Benin Oba looted during the 1897 British punitive expedition against the Benin Kingdom, were formally presented to the monarch by a delegation led by the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Mr. Olugbile Holloway, at the Oba’s Palace in Benin City on Thursday.



Speaking during the event, Oba Ewuare II expressed profound appreciation to the Government of Switzerland, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the NCMM, Governor Monday Okpebholo and all stakeholders who played key roles in the restitution process that led to the return of the treasured cultural objects.



“The Benin Bronzes are not curiosities. They are records of governance, spirituality and the artistry of the Edo people, taken by force. To delay their return is to continue dispossession by other means,” the monarch said.



Oba Ewuare II said the Benin Royal Court has now received more than 150 original looted Benin artefacts since his ascension to the throne. He traced the history of the restitution campaign to the reign of his grandfather, Oba Akenzua II, and noted that his father, Oba Erediauwa, received the first batch of repatriated artefacts after Oba Eweka II rebuilt the Benin Royal Palace, which was destroyed during the 1897 invasion.

The monarch called on the German government to honour the 2022 agreement it voluntarily entered into with the Nigerian government by completing the process for the return of over 1,000 Benin artworks still in its custody.

He urged museums and institutions across the world still holding looted Benin artefacts to address what he described as a longstanding colonial injustice against the cultural identity and heritage of the Benin people.
Oba Ewuare II thanked former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for their commitment to Nigeria’s cultural sovereignty and support for the repatriation of looted artefacts. He also praised Governor Monday Okpebholo and the Edo State House of Assembly for consistently advocating justice and the return of the kingdom’s cultural heritage.

In a rare display of emotion, the monarch danced around the returned artefacts, celebrating their homecoming.

“I commend the National Commission for Museums and Monuments and its Director-General, Mr. Olugbile Holloway, for their steadfastness in securing the return of the looted artefacts,” he said.

Earlier, NCMM Director-General Olugbile Holloway congratulated the Oba and reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to preserving the trust between the Benin Royal Court and the NCMM.

“I must say that throughout the entire process, the Swiss authorities were extremely cooperative and transparent. They did everything within their powers to ensure that this day came sooner rather than later.

“Today, we have brought a total of 18 objects. Your Royal Majesty, as we promised, we remain committed to these artefacts. The issue of ownership has long been settled, and it is our hope that the National Commission for Museums and Monuments will continue to earn Your Majesty’s trust,” Holloway said.

The Consul-General of the Swiss Embassy in Nigeria, Mrs. Conny Camenzind, thanked the Oba of Benin and the governments of Nigeria and Switzerland for making the historic repatriation possible, describing the return as a symbol of stronger cultural cooperation between both countries.

Also speaking, Prof. Alice Hertzog, a director at one of the participating Swiss museums, commended Oba Ewuare II for providing guidance when discussions on the restitution process began in 2021.


Edo state governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, represented by the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rrtd. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, said today is not simply about our return stolen artefacts, it is about the restoration of our history, identity and cultural pride.

.
Okpebholo said the return of the treasury artefacts had recorded great progress given renew hope for restitution. He said the Benin Kingdom remain one of the world greatest civilisation known for its extraordinary Arts and Culture.


He thanked the Oba of Benin for his spiritual leadership and his unwavering commitment to the recovery of our stolen heritage under his reign.

The governor said these artefacts are accurate, and as priceless to our present people of our heritage that must remain where they fully belong. He thanked the government of Switzerland for the notable gesture, and called on other country museums  to follow the worthy example by returning these artefacts to their rightful home.


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